1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cultivated varieties of true breeding, stable, meadow fescue, for use as a short lived, improved turfgrass on golf courses, athletic fields and other areas using seeded turfgrasses.
2. Background of the Art
Meadow fescue is not widely used as a turfgrass. It has been used in limited amounts in colder regions since it has good cold tolerance. It has been used mostly as a forage grass but has not been considered a desirable turfgrass. A few turfgrass species have been developed for permanent turf use but no cultivators have been developed for overseeing of dormant warm-season grasses.
A stable turfgrass variety of meadow fescue would be desirable for several applications. It would provide a permanent turf in areas where tall fescue and perennial rye grass lack the cold tolerance to persist. It would also be a desirable grass for use in overseeing of dormant warm season grasses since its lack of heat tolerance allows for a smooth transition for the warm-season grass. The meadow fescue will provide a green cover during the winter months but will die out when the temperatures increase which allow the warm-season grass to grow.
For many southern golf courses planted with Bermuda grass, a standard practice is to oversexed every fall with perennial rye grass. Perennial rye grass provides an outstanding turf cover during the cool winter months. However, perennial rye grass is very persistent and does not easily die out and give way for the re-emerging Bermuda grass in the spring when warm weather returns.
What turf managers could utilize is a cultivator that establishes quickly, has an attractive color which blends well with Bermuda grass, has superior cold tolerance over perennial rye grass and has a rapid transition. Currently there are two major grasses used in overseeing, annual and perennial rye grass. These species lack sufficient cold tolerance and often suffer winter injury.